Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser

[Democratic Press.
Charleston, December 13.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
Solomon Cumbo and Daniel James were brought up before J. H. Mitchell, Esq. on Saturday last, charged with having committed a robbery on the highway, near this city, on the road leading to Georgetown, and with having conspired together, with others, in an attempt to rob the U. S. mail.
The following are the particulars, as they came out on the examination.
It appeared that four men of the names of Daniel James, John Robinson, and Jim seamen, and -a- Bell, a jeweller by trade, left this city early on Friday evening, in a small boat, and landed opposite the barracks, near Haddrell's Point, where they secured their boat and left her, crossing over through the woods to the northern post road. Having reached it, they disguised themselves, by blacking their faces with gunpowder, and hanging moss round their hats, which hung down over their faces. Soon after they arrived at the road. Sol. Cumbo, who had been down to market, came up: they stopped and robbed him of about 25 dollars. During the act, Cumbo's horse took fright and ran back to the ferry, leaving him with the robbers.— They took him with them into the bushes. and, if the evidence of Daniel James is to be relied upon, who was admitted as state's evidence, Cumbo joined them in eating and drinking through the night, and proposed to them that they should waylay the mail, which would pass that spot about 7 o'clock next morning, and rob it-stating to them at the same time, that he left a traveller at the ferry house, who was to come on early in the morning, and who had a considerable sum of money with him, of which they might easily become possessed. He accordingly blacked his face as the others had done, and decorated his head with moss.
When the mail came along in the morning, in a sulky, driven by a lad of 15 or 16 years old, they all went out in the road, and stopped the boy, making some inquiries of him how soon the stage from Charleston might be expected along, pretending they were desirous of getting a passage in it to Georgetown. They did not take hold of the horse, although Cumbo advanced very near to his head; but one of the sailors told him they would not trouble him, and he might drive on. James, in his deposition before the magistrate, said it was him who gave this order, as "he conceived it would be a pity to rob the mail, thereby breaking the chain of correspondence throughout the union."
Soon after the mail had passed on, the expected traveller, mentioned above, rode up-they stopped him, and according to their account, robbed him of 17 dollars: when, getting alarmed, the four first named retreated through the woods to their boat, pushed off, and pulled towards James Island. and Cumbo immediately went down to the ferry, and informed that he had been robbed, as above stated, (carefully concealing, however, that he had any agency in the second robbery) and that the robbers were then pulling across the harbor for the opposite shore. A ferry boat was instantly manned, into which three or four public spirited inhabitants of the village jumped, and pushed off in pursuit: but before they could overtake them, they had landed on James Island and fled into the bushes. After some time spent in the search, one of them, Daniel James, came out from his hiding place, supposing they were gone, and was secured. The remainder have not yet been taken. James immediately charged Cumbo, who had also gone in the pursuing boat, with being an accomplice, and with having recommended the robbery of the mail; and this was in part confirmed by the deposition of the post boy, who described Cumbo as being disguised like the others, and of having evinced some disposition to stop his horse. On his part, however, Cumbo disclaimed all intention to participate in the robbery, and asserts that they had made a prisoner of him, and compelled him to take the part he did in the business.
It thus appears that nothing but the timidity of the parties concerned, prevented a robbery of the mail on this occasion; and if we are correctly informed, there are frequently bands of desperadoes infesting that road, threatening and intimidating travellers, and robbing and plundering the houses and plantations in that vicinity. It is to be hoped that the rest of the gang may be arrested, and brought to the punishment they so richly merit. Cumbo and James were both committed to jail.
[Courier.